Street-car motor



(No Model.)

J. S. LEWIS.

STRE'ET GAR MOTOR. Patented July 19, 1881..

N, r Phurwm 0 mph", Waihing' UNITED STATES parts in all the views.

PAT-ENT OFFICE.

JACOB s. LEWIS, or BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

STREET-CAR MOTOR.

SPECIFICATION forming m of Letters Patent No. 244,631, dated July 19,1881.

Application filed November 9, 1880. (No model.) 7

To all whom't't may concern: 1

Be it known that I, JACOB S. LEWIS, of the city ofBaltimore and State ofMaryland, have invented certain Improvements in Street-Oar Motors, ofwhich the following is a specification and I do hereby declare that inthe same is contained a full, clear, and exact description of my saidinvention, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and tothelet ters of reference marked thereon. This invention relates to theadaptation of the gas-engine to the propulsion of street-cars; and thesaid invention consists in combining in a street-car a gas-motorattached to the wheels of the car in such manner as to effect theirrevolution, a holder for the gas, and a receptacle for water to be usedin cooling the engine-cylinder, as will hereinafter be more fullydescribed.

- In the further description'of my said invention which followsreference is made to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof,and in which- 7 Figure l is a longitudinal section of a part of astreet-car, showing the application thereto of my improvements. Fig. IIis a plan of Fig. I, the car-body,.however, being shown only in dottedlines. Fig. III is a view of a portion of the invention.

Similar letters of reference indicate similar A is the car-body,havingthe platform a extending from the front 'end thereof,'as shown. Bis a gas-engine of any suitable design, the cylinder 1) of which issecured to the platform a. The piston-rod c ofthe engine is attached tothe connecting-rod d,'which, in turn,is coupled with the crank-pin e.The pin 6 is a part of the crank-shaftO, which is also the drivingaxleof the car, it being connected to the drivin g-wheels D D, ashereinafter described. The

engine is supplied with gas from a reservoir,

E, formed in an extension, F, of the roof of the car, and with water forrefrigerating purposes from.a smaller receptacle situate in the roofproper, G, as shown in the drawings.

As the gas contained in the reservoir E is necessarily at a highertension than that to be supplied to the engine the gas-supply pipe f isfitted with a pressure-reducing valve, d, and

a smaller holder, H, (preferably an elastic bag, v

as sho wn,) for the expandedgas.

The expanded-gash older may be located in any suitable position adjacentto the engine cylinder: but for the sake of economy in space I place itin a box, I, which answers the purpose of a seat for the engineer.

[In order to obviate the trouble arising from the frequent starting andstopping of the engine, I propose to keep the engine in constant motion,and connect the driving-wheels to the constantly-revolving axle by meansof clutches, which may be connected and disconnected at the pleasure ofthe engineer. With this view I support the outerend of the axlein asleeve, h, fastened to a bar, 5, which at its upper end isprovidedxvithacup-shaped flange, and place on the said flange an elasticball, k, to serve as a spring. The bar t andits attachments are inclosedin a suitable frame, l, secured underneath the car-body, substantiallyasshown. The driving-wheelsrunloosely upon the sleeves h, and have anannular projection on their 1 inner faces, into which clutches K, whichmay be slid longitudinally of the axle, but notturnedindependentlythereof, are adapted to be forced.

The contact of the clutches and the annular project-ions producessufficient friction to communicate motion to'the said wheels and drivethe car. v

Any proper mechanism may be used to effect the engagement anddisengagement of the clutches and driving-wheels, but that which Iprefer consists as follows: The hubs of the clutches are grooved, andrings at placed in the grooves, and toggle-bars'a attached to the saidrings by means of pins. The toggle-bars 4 are curved to clear the crank,and connected ,by rods 0 to a cross-head, p, at the front end of thecar, to which an eccentric, r, is attached. The eccentric is turned bymeans of a vertical bar, 8, having a cross-handle at its upper end 'in aconvenient position for the-engineer. The

cross-handle .is shown only in dotted lines, Fig. II. A sand-box, L,with a delivery-pipe, is used, as on locomotives, to' increase thetraction of the wheels when the same have atendency to slip.

. Parts of the invention not yet alluded to will be described and theiruses set forth in the description of the operation of the inventionwhich follows.

Before starting the car on its route the pressure-gas reservoir isfilled through the nozzle 2, and the water-receptacle supplied by meansof another nozzle, a. The engine is then put in motion, and it need notbe stopped until the car has arrived at its destination, or until thegas-supply in the reservoir is practically exhausted. To start and stopthe car it is only necessary to connect and disconnect the clutches withand from the car-wheels by means of the mechanism before described. Agovernor 011 the engine regulates the speed of the engine as the load isincreased or reduced.

In the foregoing I have described certain parts of the car which relateto the runninggear, and which are alike applicable to a steam and a gasmotor. I do not, however, claim the said mechanism herein, but willembody the same in a separate application, the object of fied.

JACOB S. LEWIS. Witnesses:

HARRY V. ALBAUGH, WILLIAM PLAT'I.

